Paradigm Optional
by TheThirdAetas
Summary: This is just a collection of one-shots based on a randomly generated word acting as the theme for each chapter. Will always revolve around the turtles from the 2k3&CGI universe with the other characters thrown in at times. Main genre is family and a varying degree of plot devices are also explored.
1. Give Me A Word and A Reason

Sooooo...this is how I'm going to be doing this: I'll be getting my phrases from this random word generator, boringly titled "random word generator." I am going force myself to make sure the chapters stay ONLY at 5 pages of less. Everything will revolve around 'family' because I'm a sucker for sappiness. And I won't update this every single day. :( But I can tell you now that my next update WILL be Wednesday.

Oh, and there's this phrase on here - "No one is coming to save you" - that I am compelled mention IS NOT MINE. It's actually from the wholly amazing TV show: Person of Interest. If you haven't watched it...I'm sorry. :P

Anyways, now THAT'S done and over with, I hope you enjoy what I have to offer - thank you so much for stopping by!

General Warnings: Every character included may be considered OOC. Every chapter from here on out will also be considered AU to the original plot lines of the 2k3 series and the CGI 2k7 movie.

* * *

_And the word for today is:_

**Masterpiece**

* * *

"No."

Donnie, Mikey, and Leo watched with wide, taken aback stares as Raph stood up abruptly, horror painted all over his amber irises. His own stare never strayed from the piece of paper he held tightly in his hands, wildly roaming all over the page as dismay began to form a boulder in the pit of his stomach.

"Ya gotta be screwin' with me," Raph slowly growled out, his eyes flashing as he reread–for the third time–the top lines of the paper he was given. "You just _gotta_!"

Master Splinter gazed at him without an ounce of pity in his eyes.

"Raphael." The aforementioned turtle flinched. "Leonardo and I have told you, _time and time again_ in these past weeks, to avoid going to the surface for the time being. And yet you continuously treat our words as if it is nothing more than thin air," Splinter spoke in grim voice.

It was an unfamiliar sound, one that has only escaped Splinter's mouth merely a few times each year. But all the same, it was shame-inducing and painful to even listen to; it couldn't help but make the three other turtles wince. And they didn't even have any idea what the heck the punishment _was_.

"The Foot Ninja have doubled their efforts to bring the greatest of evils upon you and your brothers," Splinter reminded in harsh words. "The Purple Dragons now have a plan to expose our nature to all who has eyes and ears. And tonight, you have risked such things to go _gallivanting_ off–" Master Splinter spat out with contempt. "–with Casey Jones. This is of utmost foolishness, Raphael, and I tolerate it no longer."

Sparks of guilt burned in Raph's eyes, but even then, he stood his ground firmly as he finally tore his eyes away from the accursed page. He looked back at his sensei with his lips pulled to the side pleadingly. "But Masta Splinter, I was _careful_! Each and every friggin' time, I've always been careful!"

Splinter shook his head once at that.

"Even the most careful men fall victim to chance," he pointed out with a sigh, his eyes softening as guilt began to finally enter his son's eyes. "You must understand, my son, while you would never intentionally put either of your brother's life on the line…" Splinter's stare and voice began to waver at his words. "…You have carelessly put _yourself_ in danger. And in doing so, you have also put your brothers in harm's way with you."

Raphael opened his mouth slightly before immediately snapping it shut again. He had always known that, somewhere in the back of his mind (in the form of Leo's voice, of course), he had honestly been doing just that. How could he _not_ know, with all the countless times his brothers followed him into the darkness just because he was too stubborn to stay out of it?

But the thing is…it was…it was simply _easier_ to believe no one was coming to save him. That the only person he was going to hurt in the end was himself and no one else was going to have to suffer the consequences for his own choices.

Because even though that thought was painful, it wasn't _nearly_ as painful as knowing that the same people you live for, fight for, _die for_…would do the same thing for you.

Everyone watched as Raph flinched for no apparent reason.

'_Don't take 'em down with you,_' his little voice whispered urgently inside of him. '_Don't take 'em down with you...'_

Raph rubbed at his forehead as he took a deep breath. And closing his eyes briefly, he began to steel himself for what he was about to do.

"I'm sorry," Raph whispered, his words bouncing loudly off the walls as he got onto his knees, fists clenched tightly against his thighs as he bowed his head forward in submission.

Mikey and Donnie's mouths dropped _wide _open.

Splinter's onyx irises melted instantaneously at that, forgiveness rimming his soft, kind smile.

Then Leo…well, Leo felt his heart stop beating for a second.

And suddenly, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Master Splinter!" Leo blurted out before his mind could catch up to his mouth. "I…I take responsibility for Raphael's error tonight." He gulped when he saw his sensei turn abruptly towards him, surprise set deeply on his face. "I should've been there to stop him from sneaking out the way he did," he explained, nervousness beginning to coat his words. He was suddenly _very_ aware of the three other stares glued his way. "I'm the eldest and for that, I have to be aware of everything and–"

A balled up piece of paper smashed against his head.

Mikey immediately pressed both hands against his mouth, _hard_, to stop the snorts of laughter from morphing into _peals_ of laughter. Even Donnie, himself, had to suck in his inner-cheeks to stop himself from cracking up. He did feel bad for it but really now…Leo's _FACE!_

And speaking of that turtle…

"What the shell was that for!?" Leo furiously exclaimed, glaring vehemently at the mirroring scowl sent his way.

"YOU don't take responsibility for crap, Fearless!" Raph snapped, leaning forward on one hand as he pointed accusingly at Leo with the other. "Stop wantin' to take the fall for us all the time! We gotta learn from our own mistakes at one point, so will ya quit bein' some helicopter mom and let us FALL!?"

Leo grimaced at the undeniable truth behind his brother's words. He knew, even now, that he shouldn't feel as horrible as did for Raph…and it really would be a good experience for the younger one to be taught a lesson for his impulsivity. But he had _never_ been good at keeping a detached heart whenever one of his siblings was involved.

He sighed and pressed a heavy hand against his eyes before letting it fall onto his lap.

"I'm not sure if that's even _remotely _possible for me, Raph," Leo grumbled, in a hesitant, tired voice.

Raph's glare softened up volumes at that. "Leo," he sighed out, rubbing the back of his head. "Ya gotta _try_ at least," he continued in genuine tones before he hesitantly added, "My punishment isn't even really that _bad_." Well, it wouldn't be to _them_. They would think it was a walk in the park. Not even _Mikey_ would feel the same dread that was threatening to eat Raph's mind alive right now.

"Hey," Mikey piped up, blinking several times as a peaked interest began to seep into his cerulean irises. "What _is_ your punishment?"

And as if Donnie was several steps ahead of Mikey…

"Oh. My. _Shell_," Donnie suddenly drawled, looking incredulously at the torn, crumpled, and ruined piece of paper he had smoothened out in his hands. "Raph, are you serious?"

Leo's daunting imagination jumped up to new levels. If Raph's punishment was bad enough for _Donnie_ to react that way…"What is it, Donnie?" he asked, his amber eyes darkening with anticipation.

He never once noticed Splinter shaking his head exasperatedly in the background, a small chuckle escaping his lips.

"Yea, yea, what horrible thing is Raphie gonna be forced into doing?" Mikey asked, with a bit too much excitement coloring his voice. He scrambled onto his knees and swung his arm around Donnie's shoulders, butting his head in to get a better look at the page.

And it took around three seconds for Mikey's jaw to drop open for the second time in that same hour. "Aww! That's it!?" he exclaimed, a complaint in his voice. "Raph, you're such a baby!"

Raph gave a death glare towards the ground before him, grumbling inaudible obscenities as a garish crimson began to mix in with his emerald green skin.

Leo's anxiety became replaced with absolute confusion over Mikey's reaction, furrowing his eyebrow ridges together as he tried to figure out _what_ the _hell_ was going on. His helplessness began to mount further inside of him as he looked back and forth between his disbelieved brothers, his pouting other brother, and his wholly amused father.

Of course, it didn't take long for him to crack once again.

"_What _IS IT!?" he finally yelled, his patience molecules knocked out cold by his mind-controlling curiosity.

Silently, Donnie handed the wrinkled piece of paper over to the elder turtle, shaking his head slightly as he stared dryly at Leo.

Then Leo laid his eyes on the page for a moment and suddenly…he _got_ _it._

A relieved grin lit up his countenance and with a slight laugh, he turned towards his sullen-faced, red-tinged younger brother. "Only you, Raph," Leo teased, "Only you."

Because written in a four, self-explanatory sentences at the top of the page, in Master Splinter's precise, neat handwriting…

_Hands are meant to do so much more than the limits you place on them. To show you that, I will give you one word each day and you will write at least one page of whatever you would like to based on that word. You may ask for assistance from me or your brothers, but you are not expected to show us until thirty days later. That is how long I expect for you to do this, Raphael, and I expect for you to acquire certain values from it._

And below those sentences laid a simple, single word that promised them all a new possibility in the making.

…**Masterpiece…**

* * *

Alright, so now that you have actually reached the end of this chapter, I would like to get this out of the way: **_Please Read._**

I'm very worried on how I rated this. I have already made chapter 2 and I'm almost done with chapter 3. While I have NO sexual content (and I'm not planning to), I do have torture included in the second chapter, death included in the third chapter, and gory violence included in both. While I do not think my material is that bad or explicit, I've grown up in a more...open household, so I'm not sure if I'm correct with rating this story T.

So depending on what your guys's opinions are and how many people agree with it; I will either leave this as it is, increase the rating, or take it off the site completely and move it somewhere else.

Well, either way, I hope to see you guys the next chapter! I'm glad you made it this far...well, glad and surprised. :D


	2. Worse Than Death

When I first got this word, I was like, "Uhhh...what the heck am I going to do with this word? Make a crossover with Harry Potter?"

Then when I started typing this thing out...and THIS was born...

I am very sure I made Stockman more evil than he actually is, but when I watched "Insane the Membrane," I just went all out with the thought of off-his-rocker-Stockman. So, anyways, feel free to critique me on his personality if you feel like I overdid it. Along with anything else in this chapter.

By the way, I can no longer promise updates on the days I actually do say I'll update on. I was never good at keeping it anyways, to be honest. Either way, it'll come as soon as I am able to make it get off its fat butt and get posted! I really love doing this, so I'll make sure of it. :P

Oh, also, this is one of the chapters that make me concerned about the rating. Thank you for clearing up the fact that M is mostly used for sexual situations, but just to make sure...do you guys think I should change the rating now? Keep away from these kinds of themes altogether?

* * *

_And the word for today is:_

**Scroll**

* * *

"You've been here for three and a half hours now, Raphael," Stockman purred with a sinister smile, considering the teen crammed in the metal cage half his size. "Aren't you getting tired of this…abuse?"

Wounds that had torn apart the first layer of skin dribbled out blood, making a mess of the tiled floors. Angry, scorched blisters surrounded the areas where he had plugged in long, thin needles. The turtle's mouth–screaming endlessly just moments before–was pursed shut now, most likely trying to block out the aftershocks racking through his body. Fatigue and agony was so clearly cutting through his features, making his limbs lie limply on the cage floors.

And yet, there were those open amber eyes smirking unrelentingly at him. Smirking _defiantly_ at him.

Stockman was _not_ about to let it show how much that, both, impressed him and _pissed_ him _off_.

"Not abuse…if I…a-ain't tired," Raph forced himself to croak out, wincing as his words came in broken, worn down pieces. He tried to smirk insolently at the bastard towering above him, but even his _eyes_ started to feel like lead.

Stockman's smile turned to a mocking smirk.

"Ah, now that is where you are wrong," he pointed out in a condescending voice. He rolled further back in his wheel chair to take a better look at his captive. "On and off, on and off…I had been injecting, more or less, 9 volts into your blood stream. Under correct circumstances–_these _circumstances–it is all that is needed to _massacre_ the regular human body on contact." He chuckled darkly at the shudder that racked through the younger one's body. "But you already feel like you're being massacred, don't you?"

Raph's eyes darkened. "Screw you, asshole."

Stockman's smirk disappeared just a bit. "Nuh-uh-uh, Raphael," he said quietly, his voice echoing forebodingly in the room. "When are you ever going to learn?"

He pressed a button on the remote he held loosely in one hand and a small, short beep sounded from it. He tapped the sensory plate on the side one time, making a clinking sound with the touch and with that one little noise, Raph had curled a little bit further into a ball, amber irises disappearing immediately behind clenched eyelids.

The transparent wires attached to the needles embedded in his skin began to light up ominously, and the box it protruded out from began to make a buzzing noise.

One streak of light zoomed through the cable and Stockman clearly followed the bursts of light as it filtered into the needle.

A scream Stockman had been acquainted with these past few hours echoed in his ears.

"Have I told you why I programmed the shocks to arrive at every other second instead of at a continuous flow?" he asked in a conversational tone, pausing as another flash of light exited from the box. It was only after he heard another cry did Stockman continue, "One is too avoid killing you outright, of course…but the other part? Anticipation. Are you able to feel it? The knowledge of what is about to come up next? It creates dread in your bones, perhaps a bit of nausea is thrown in…"

A choked whimper reached Stockman's ears this time and he watched as the needle in Raph's leg opened another, slightly smaller cut on his upper thigh. Blood began to ooze from the scar, running down his skin until it covered over the blisters formed at his knee.

"…And it only makes the pain worse than it already is."

Another burst of light ran through the wires and soon, tears began to pool at the corners of Raph's eyes, helpless pants escaping from his hanging mouth.

Stockman's remote began to beep continuously again, alerting him that the thirty seconds were already up. He pressed the button to stop the sounds and for several seconds, he let the silence between him and the younger one be filled with shallow breathing and frequent moans.

"Make this stop, Raphael. Make the pain disappear for good," Stockman drawled out lowly, his voice cajoling. And he went in for the kill once again. _"Where are the rest of you hiding?"_

Raph let out a few, breathy chuckles and through the coughs that shook his body afterwards, he rasped, "In…in y-yer…dreams."

Stockman pursed his lips with frustration. He let out a disappointed sigh. "Loyalty gets you nowhere in life, you foolish _thing_."

Raph sleepily blinked his eyes, letting out an inaudible mumble at that. Rolling his eyes, Stockman wheeled himself forward, making sure that he put his stopper down before he firmly kicked the cage. "Wake up, you imbecilic turtle, before you slip into a coma."

Raph nodded weakly before sliding his eyes shut. "Ain't bein' loyal," he spoke up in a louder, slightly steadier voice.

Stockman cocked an eyebrow at that. "Oh really, now?" He tilted the cage slightly until he heard Raph's shell thump lightly against the metal bars. "What are you being?"

"Bein' selfish." Stockman began to doubt the validity behind Raph's words and slowly putting back down the cage, he narrowed his eyes carefully as he began to check for signs of delirium. "Protectin'…m'self…" Raph painstakingly opened his eyes once more, the smirk and defiance gone…

…And replaced with resolve.

"'Cause without 'em, Stockman…" Raph's voice couldn't have been anything above a whisper. But in Stockman's ears, it had risen into a deafening scream. "…_You can't hurt me_."

Stockman's eyes burned with pure, unadulterated hatred as he turned a seething stare towards the broken body lying in its prison. But that's the _thing_. It was merely Raph's _body_ that was broken. And, with a sickening epiphany, he realized _that_ was what his mistake was all along.

Raph had enough in him to smirk at Stockman's look of utter self-deprecation. "I'll see you in hell," Raph muttered, each word clearer and stronger than the last.

With a scowl darkening his features, Stockman let an enraged howl tear from his throat. He lifted his leg high and kicked hard at the protruding, green foot through the spaces of the barred cage.

But not even the pained cry he had induced from his prisoner made the heavy weight on his shoulders lighten.

A cold expression falling over his countenance, he lifted the stopper from his wheelchair and rolled himself away as fast he could towards the already wide-open door. He paused right before he made a full exit, turning his head slightly to the side, before harshly responding, "I don't believe in hell."

Soon, he surrounded himself in the shadows of his makeshift laboratory, staring with narrowed eyes at the cameras mounted on the wall. There were eight of them, all in all, four in a row and two in a column. Two showed the abomination of nature curled up in its deserving cage in the backroom, while the others pictured a clear view of the vicinity outside.

Stockman's eyes widened.

'_That area is not clear,_' his mind slowly told him and not daring to tear his eyes away from monitor no.4…

"_STOCKMAN!"_ the speakers blared, making the aforementioned madman flinch away from his screens. From his peripheral view, he saw one of his other monitors captured Raph's eyes snapping wide open in horror, hands palpably quivering as they reached up to grip the bars.

"_No_," Stockman heard his captive say. And right afterwards…

"_I have what you want!_" Stockman turned his attention back to monitor no.4, vaguely being able to recall that the turtle on his screen was the elder one…Leonardo, he believed. "_You wanted my sensei's scroll, right?!_" Stockman's eyes widened almost unnaturally as Leo brought his hands up, holding a rolled-up rice paper in his hands, which soon unfurled into…

"Yes," Stockman hissed in triumph, a thrilled grin spreading across his lips. He _knew_ those turtles had the scroll; he had remembered seeing it hung on that rat's wall in one of the feeds from his Mousers. It held the clue, the _answer_, hidden away in its painted textile of landscaps and nature.

It showed him the entryway to the greatest weapons ever created and kept.

"_Well, _I _want my brother_." Leo's voice rung out warningly through his speakers. "_And this scroll is yours in _exchange_…_" Amusedly, Stockman noticed that the turtle's jaw was clenched at that particular word, disgust clear in his auburn irises. The elder apparently doesn't like referring his brother to a marketing cow. "…_in exchange for him._"

In monitor no.4, he saw Raphael bury part of his face into his arm, a loud groan escaping from him.

A wide smirk served to emphasize the arrogance on Stockman's face. And reaching over, he pressed a sizeable, black button, and spoke, "Forgive me for my distrust, Leonardo, but I have no way of knowing you won't run off with it once I give you Raphael."

A look of resignation fell over Leo's face. "_I'll deliver it to you personally._"

"_Leo, you fuckin' dumbass,_" Raph choked out as he banged weakly against his bars. "_Don't! Don't, goddamnit!_"

Stockman shook his head at that and taking his hand off the button, he let out a long, piercing laugh.

"Your brother is going to heaven, Raphael," Stockman called out mockingly to the backroom. He saw Raph bow his head down further, his hold on the steel bars tightening before it fell away to bang heavily against the ground. "And he has _you_ to thank for that."

Then for the first time since he held the teen as his captive…

"_Stockman,_" Raph begged, his voice ridden with submission. "_He's givin' you what ya want. You got nothin' to gain from…from hurtin' him._" Raph raised his head slightly, amber irises dark with fear._ "You got me. _You got me_._"

Stockman's brown irises glimmered with victory at those sweet, _sweet_ words and a cruel sense of merriment began to twist on his features. He turned back towards the elder turtle in monitor no.7, who was now fidgeting around impatiently with a nervous look weighed on his face.

And pressing the button, Stockman smirked.

"Bring me the scroll."

* * *

By the way, we all know Leo wouldn't actually be stupid enough to go by himself like that when Raph's life is in stake. He has a plan, of course - one that includes Casey's bat, April's knowledge with surveillance, Mikey's creative skills, and Donnie's influence over everything technological. )

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention this but, there'll be a change in chapter sorting. I planned to post another dark chapter after this one, but seeing as it would be posted right after this guy, I decided to save it after I post at least one lighthearted chapter.

So, anyways, thank you so much for getting this far and I hope to see you again next time!


	3. An Unfinished Sentence

Remember when I said my next chapter would be a lighthearted one? I lied. Remember when I said I'd keep my stories under 5 pages (Verdana, 9)? Well...I lied. I guess I'm a big, fat liar everybody. :P

Okay, so I'm incredibly determined to update this, even though my eyelids are drooping. Horribly.

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED! I hope you like this one as well.

* * *

_And the Word for Today is:_

**Prosperity**

* * *

Ever since Karai was brought under the tutelage and usage of The Shredder, she had been brought up to believe she would, one day, live a life of prosperity beside him. And her belief in his every word never waned, never wavered, never weakened.

Until, that is, she had met…

"Karai! What are you doing!?" Leo roared at her, his auburn eyes torn between rage and shock as he took one, threatening step towards her. He held both of his katanas out in front of him, unsheathed and ready to create a warpath.

But it was _where_ Leo's eyes were turned which told Karai that the younger turtle was _not _planning for her to come out of this dilemma without _her blood spilt_.

"L-Leo," Mikey gasped out, pain tearing his features apart. It was a sound that made Karai wince, despite herself. In her years, she had learned to make men beg for mercy, taken away their will to live, and manipulated the strongest wills to destroy itself inside out.

And yet, it took an exhale of pain from boy who wasn't _even_ a boy to make her skin crawl.

Though, she will admit that she went rather overkill when she twisted his arm until she heard it crack underneath her fingers. It's just that when she saw his nunchaku flying at her, she had no time to draw her katana in front of her and, so, she immediately listened to her instincts.

Though, she will agree that the results of her actions weren't pretty (they never were, to be honest)–his arm was angled behind his back at an unnatural 90-degrees. His fingers twitched above his head and it was obvious that any slight movement he made brought waves of pain running down his appendage.

No. It wasn't pretty by any means.

"Mikey, hold on," Leo said in a hard voice, looking at his brother with steel determination. But there was this never before heard _edge_ underlining his words that made Karai's eyes widen. "Just hold on."

Mikey shook his head once, sharply. "Leo," he tried again in a steadier voice. To Karai's surprise, he gave his brother a pained, quivering smile as he forced out, "'Mem…'member what M-Master Splinter said?"

Leo's face flashed with surprise.

And, slowly, he slid his auburn irises back towards her.

"Never take your eyes off the enemy," he stated slowly, his voice unfeeling and his eyes morphed into a cold fury.

Karai felt her hands begin to shake.

And she grit her teeth. "Do not step any closer, Leonardo," she said lowly, trying to hide her newfound anxiety from her voice. She reached down to the turtle kneeling before her feet and held tightly onto his opposite shoulder, raising her katakana high above her before rotating it downwards and tilting the tip towards Mikey's head.

Leo bared his teeth at her. "I'm not the one who should be warned right now," he pointed out scathingly, readying his blades before him as he bent his knees slightly. "And I'm warning you, Karai, you've crossed the line." A cold chill began to run down Karai's spine. "_Don't make me destroy it_."

Karai's grip began to falter at that.

She was prepared to face Leonardo and her brothers. She was prepared for a battle. She wasn't ready for…for _this_.

"I am sorry," she said quietly and against her better judgment, she closed her eyes briefly. "But as the daughter and second-in-command of the Shredder, it is my duty–"

"Then what about your honor as a ninja?" Leo snapped, his fingers shrinking around the handles of his katanas. "As a _person_?"

Karai paused at that. She had never really…_thought_ of simply grouping herself within the regular levels of society. As an _individual_ in society. She was the daughter of Oroku Saki, a member of the Foot Clan, and amongst the followers of the Bushido. Because she was unwanted by her own parents, she scrambled to adapt to a life where she could belong.

And the only other life that sought her out was the same life that demanded unconditional loyalty to everyone and everything but herself.

So how can Leo expect for her to suddenly drop everything that made Karai the person she was today…and just become _Karai_?

A wry smile came onto her lips.

"Trying to convince me of my character, Leonardo," Karai ruefully stated, tightening her grip around her katana. "Will not be able to save your brother."

Disappointment and utter self-deprecation seeped into Leo's eyes. And even though she struggled against it, the sight had made something twist in her gut. "I should never have trusted you," he stated in unforgiving tones, taking a few steps closer towards his brother and his _enemy_.

But he stopped immediately when Karai pressed the tip of her blade against his little brother's head.

"No, you should not have," Karai admitted through a soft sigh. "And your mistake will cost you dearly…" She paused as her eyes flashed to the side, analyzing it in quick notes. It wasn't the best exit, but it was the smoothest she could find. And she _needed_ to complete this mission for her father. "…Unless you let me go."

Leo watched as she dragged her katana further down across his baby brother's head and the reflection of the moon from the blade flickered back onto his eyes. Pursing his lips, he unwittingly glanced towards the cerulean irises half-covered by drooping eyelids and he felt the heavy weight of nausea tighten around his heart.

'_There is a _reason_ why Karai's head is still on her shoulders_,' a small voice echoing in his head reminded him.

The bile that filled his stomach began to make its way towards his throat and he knew he was out of options. He was going to have to let her go, let her remain unpunished, and give her _another_ chance to come after his brothers; the _family_ he swore to always–

"YOU'RE GONNA DIE, KARAI!"

Leo's eyes widened and his mouth slightly parted when Karai's katana went flying from her hands and hit the pavement with a resounding clang. An inexplicable relief pooled into Leo's heard when he saw a red-handled sai embed itself on the cement next to the fallen blade.

Karai, on the other hand…

"You!" she yelled through clenched teeth, spinning around and instantaneously forgetting the wounded turtle she just turned her back on. She turned a seething stare towards burning amber, irises.

"Yea, me," Raph snapped, getting into his battle stance as he held his remaining sai right out in front of him. "Y'know, I'm getting' tired of yer ugly mug around us all the damn time and I'm gonna make sure ta take _care_ of that," he said, his voice shaking with rage. He saw Karai's hand raise to go to her other blade latched onto her back. And he smirked sadistically. "Ya sure you wanna do that?"

Raph suddenly lunged, giving no time for Karai to pull out her katana. She quickly pulled her hand away in favor of defensively holding it out in front of her and she tried to duck below the flying body intent on crashing into her.

What she didn't expect was for Raph's knee to be the one to smash into her face. Karai began to feel something warm run down her forehead and a sudden ringing deafened her ears. She felt herself get thrown far off to the side from the force of Raph's kick and she held out her hand beside her to cushion the landing.

Big mistake.

Karai gasped in surprise when she felt something pop in her wrist. It didn't exactly feel broken but something was out of place. '_Sprained_,' her mind wildly supplied her as she tried to lift her uncooperative hand. '_It's sprained_.'

"Need a hand?" Raph asked sarcastically, bringing his sai out in front of him and pointing it downwards. And with the flick of his wrist, he let it drop. "Lemme help with that."

Karai let out a piercing scream when the tip sliced through her palm and impaled her appendage onto the pavement. Shocks began to run up and down her arm and she gripped her bicep hard enough for her fingernails to puncture through her skin. She blinked rapidly, trying to look past black and white specks bursting in front of her eyes.

"That's fer Mikey," she vaguely heard through the fog in her mind.

"Then you will understand, Raphael," she hissed through clenched teeth, shakily wrapping her fingers around the handle of his sai. "What _this_ is for." With a pained groan, she took the sai out of her hands and in a quick flurry of movement, she–

"Shit!" Raph gasped, kneeling immediately as his sai stabbed through his foot.

He tried to grab it out of her hands but she was quick to force the sai from his feet, all in favor of slicing a deep cut onto his arm.

She slid the blade down his forearm, leaving a trailing scar in its wake until she could hook the gaps of Raph' sai around his wrist. She used the friction to pull the turtle close to her. Then leaning further forwards, she pushed her elbow down on the back of his neck and then brought her knee up to slam it against his plastron. And after she let him fall back onto the floor, she dug the tip of his sai in the back of his head.

Her hands shook with the effort not to ghost down to pierce the tip through his throat and she had to force herself to keep that touch of metal from drawing his blood.

But _making_ him _feel_ it, however…

"Do you concede!?" Karai snapped through her pants.

For a moment, there was a pause in the air as a stubborn, self-deprecating fury swirled on Raph's face…

…And suddenly, it gave way to a small, triumphant smile.

"Nah," he said in a mockingly unassuming voice. "But I gotta feeling _you're_ gonna concede very soon."

Karai's eyebrows furrowed together. "What do you–"

The edge of a blade pressing against her throat made her instantly drop Raph's sai onto his shell.

A death grip on her shoulder took the oxygen right out from her lungs.

And a dark voice, promising death beside her ear, made an indescribable dread sink into the pit of her stomach.

"Step away from my brother."

Slowly, she straightened herself in time to the movement of the katana pressed against her throat, wincing as she felt her blood drip from its edge and down her skin.

A shadow of movement caught her peripheral vision and she turned her eyes away from the cement below her feet. And when she straightened her head towards the scene in front of her, what she saw made her eyes _widen_.

Because, there, a few ways from her were Leonardo's two remaining brothers.

Donnie held Mikey in a strong embrace, the older turtle's Bō held protectively in front of the both of them, upright and standing against the ground in ominous warning. And there was this look on his face, an uncompromisingly pitiless one that made Karai slowly start to realize how _screwed_ she really is.

She felt her throat become a desert and she forced herself to swallow what little saliva she had left.

Her eyes traveled down further.

Michelangelo had his arm angled back into the right place, secured against his side with the aid of Donatello's violet banadana. And for a split second–with his shell pressed against his brother's chest –Karai thought that he must've been sleeping. But then his mouth started moving, speaking words that were too soft for her to ear.

Then she watched as Donnie's eyes darkened inexplicably, his arms around the younger one tightening even more. And he didn't, even _once_, glance back at her.

But the youngest one did. The youngest turtle's head lolled to the side and in shuddering movements, his eyelids parted to expose his painfully glazed azure irises.

And, in her own haze of irrationality, she could've _sworn_ she saw her own reflection gazing back at her.

Her own defeat.

'_Forgive me, father_.'

Karai's limp hands curled into quivering fists. "How…" Her voice was foreign in her own ears. "…_How_?"

The blade against her neck shifted. "Never take your eyes of the enemy, Karai," Leo spoke, his voice now behind her as a biting resentment painted a layer over his words.

"Even when ya got another one right in front of ya."

Mocking. The words, the voice, the _person_–it was mocking her. And, incredibly, it _got_ to her. It made Karai's jaw throb with the pressure she pushed onto it, a sickening sense of humiliation partnering with her explosion of anger.

"_You_," she hissed.

She began to turn her head downwards, but then she felt Leo's katana cut deeper into her flesh and his fingers dig harshly into her shoulder. She snapped her head upright and with a growl, she kept her head motionless as she shifted her eyes down to the current bane of her existence.

"_You_ are the one to blame for this!"

"Heh." Raphael was crouched on one knee now as he rubbed the back of his neck. An infuriating smirk of insolence played on his lips. "I ain't gonna be losing any sleep over this, if that's what you're hopin' for," he replied with a laugh, coming to a stand as he cracked his neck to the side.

"Are you okay, Raph?" Leo asked, his voice unreadable.

But it wasn't unreadable enough. And, for the life of her, she couldn't explain why the…the _worry_ that softened the edges of Leo's voice _wounded_ her.

"Yep, m'good, bro," Raph said with a half-hearted smirk, a grimace tearing through his features as he lifted his injured, bloody foot slightly off the ground.

Karai's palms began to sweat as she felt Leo's blade slide closer to her jugular.

Raph's eyes widened. "Leo, Really," he said with surprised rimming his tone, eyebrow ridges raised high. "I'm alright."

"…Fine."

Karai identified the katana restricting her movements become slack.

She felt Leo's grasp on her shoulder loosen.

Then she noticed Raph's warm grin.

And she saw red.

"STOP!"

A rushing roared in Karai's ears made the sounds around her become nothing more than an echoing clamor, but in consequence, everything around her _heightened_. Leonardo's pulsating heartbeat shook inside of her mind, Raphael's hitch in breathing made time pause before her, Donatello's fleeting shriek exploded within her ears. But what she felt the most was…her _hands_.

Because within the flesh of her palms…

…She held Leonardo's katana.

"RAPH!"

'_Were his eyes always this…color?_' Karai's mind distantly asked her as she stared into Raphael's eyes, uncomprehending as she watched bright amber dim into a pale brown.

Halfway embedded into Raph's stomach, Karai felt the katana meet resistance. And almost as if was second nature to her, she automatically turned the blade in her hands to the side, creating a widened gap in Raphael's plastron.

"No…"

Something hard slammed into her temple, right over the perfect spot that created a blinding white light to asphyxiate over every inch of her eyes.

"…_No_…"

Her body crumpled to the ground without a moment's notice and past the fog of silver waves of ignition, she saw olive-green feet step over her fallen figure, bending down to place a severely trembling hand on the side of Raphael's face.

"…_NO!_"

At this point, everything around her was an utter blur–the sounds, the feeling, the scene. But with every slow blink that she struggled through, she could see a snapshot of what continued before her.

The one thing she saw most, though, was the body-paralyzing, mind-shattering _fear_.

Because never, once, had she thought Leonardo was capable of such a thing.

"Raph, no, don't get up, stay down. I said stay _down_ Raph! No, no, wait, don't close your eyes. Keep them open, please_,_ _for_ _me_, keep them open…yes. Y-Yes, that's better…Raph…Raph? Raph, you're going to be okay, you hear me? Just don't close your eyes. Don't close your eyes."

Leonardo's voice had fallen into an endless anguish of desperate pleas. It was something Karai was not a stranger to.

And from the very beginning of it all, she knew it was going to be something that would haunt the last remaining vestige of her consciousness; up until it slipped from her grasp for the last time.

"_Don't close your eyes_."

Then her eyes began to slide into darkness and Karai knew–right then, right there–that her life of prosperity had finally, truly…

* * *

(Flinch) I know, I know, this isn't my best. I swear I'll put more into the next ones! Then again, I seem to be on a roll so far with all the lies, so you never know...

And don't worry! Raph's not dead. :) I'm incapable of writing tragedy fics. Just a crapload of angst and drama.

Oh, also...how was Karai? I'm afraid I'm rather...biased towards her, so I might have made her more violent and crueler than she really is. And I'm using the term, 'biased,' lightly.

And speaking of her...gosh...I made Karai use Leo's own KATANA against his brother. Can you imagine how horrible Leo must feel? His weapon is pretty much an extension of himself, so it's like he was the one who harmed Raph to such an extent. He'll probably never be able to look at his sword the same way, no less touch it...

...That is, until Raph hits him over the head and tells him to get over it. :P

Okay, so, hope you guys liked this one, I'll see you next time! Hopefully I won't be as sleepy then as I am now...


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